Administration

Administration

Penn State has announced a national search for the next vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. Established in 1922, Penn State’s Graduate School is one of the nation’s largest with more than 12,000 graduate students.

The Penn State Board of Trustees will hold its regular bi-monthly meeting on Friday, March 15, in room 302 of the University Fitness and Conference Center, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, Pa. Penn State Public Broadcasting will stream the meeting live at http://wpsu.org/live. The meeting, which begins at 1:30 p.m. with remarks from University President Rodney Erickson, is open to the public. At 3:45 p.m. there will be a public comment period for those who have registered in advance.

Penn State will be hiring a dozen new faculty members over the next three years as part of its recently launched Network for Child Protection and Well-Being, with the goal of advancing knowledge, practice, education and outreach to combat child abuse.

As part of its aspiration to be at the forefront of national efforts toward prevention and therapy for child maltreatment, the University has begun a "cluster" hire that will include clinical and research tenure-track faculty members who are focused on the complex and pervasive problem of child maltreatment.

Julie Del Giorno, chief of staff at Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa., has been named athletics integrity officer at Penn State. Del Giorno, whose position has been newly created, will be responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that ensure compliance and ethical conduct. She will begin work on a part-time basis in March and will commence full-time work in her position on April 1.

"Julie is an outstanding choice for this position," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "As she begins her work here at Penn State, she will draw on more than two decades of experience in higher education and the U.S. military. Her track record of success in athletics oversight and operations, student affairs, logistics and institutional planning has given her valuable experience that will serve the University well."

Thank you Karen, and my sincerest thanks and appreciation to my fellow members of the Board of Trustees. I'm humbled and honored you have entrusted me with this responsibility.

Taking the reins at this time is made easier by the groundwork laid by Karen Peetz over the past year. Despite the unprecedented events confronting this university, Karen stepped in and brought our board together to consider and make difficult decisions, decisions we believed were in the best long-term interests of the entire university. Her biggest achievement however, was not just to successfully deal with the events of the last year. Karen stayed focused on the fundamental strengths of our university, how it could be improved, and how it can best be positioned for the future.

Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (Jan. 18) recognized the passing of Trustee Emeritus J. Lloyd Huck, the retired chairman of the board of pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. and a former chairman of Penn State's Board of Trustees, who died Dec. 4 in State College at the age of 90.

Penn State's Board of Trustees on Jan. 18 approved final renovation and construction plans for the Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub headquarters building complex at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The EEB Hub is a national effort to make commercial and multifamily residential buildings more energy efficient.

The designs for the EEB Hub building complex from the architectural firm of KieranTimberlake of Philadelphia, include renovation of an existing 38,000-square-foot building and the construction of a new 25,200-square-foot building. The buildings will facilitate public education and outreach, and function as the headquarters for the EEB Hub. The total project budget for both buildings combined is $39 million, funded by the state and grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Economic Development Administration. Completion of both renovation and construction is expected by spring 2014.

Penn State's Board of Trustees today (Jan. 18) approved the final plans to renovate and construct an addition to the Educational Activities Building at Penn State Harrisburg. Trustees also authorized the awarding of contracts for construction of the $19.5 million project.

Designed by the firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the project will include construction of a 51,500-square-foot addition to be connected to the existing two-story building, which also will be renovated. The project will provide space for civil, mechanical and electrical engineering labs; support offices; general purpose classrooms; and a multi-purpose room. Reynolds Construction Management Inc. of Harrisburg will manage the project.

Penn State's Board of Trustees on Jan. 18 approved the appointment of Spillman Farmer Architects of Bethlehem, Pa., for the Woodland Building renovation at Penn State Abington. Dale Hollenbach, Abington chief operating officer, said the project will be completed in phases and includes a complete renovation of three chemistry laboratories as well as upgrades and repairs to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The roof, windows and bathroom facilities also will be repaired or replaced.

The Penn State Board of Trustees will hold its regular bi-monthly meeting on Friday, Jan. 18, in Deans Hall at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus. Penn State Public Broadcasting will stream the meeting live at http://wpsu.org/live. The meeting, which begins at 1:30 p.m. with remarks from University President Rodney Erickson, is open to the public. At 3:15 p.m. there will be a public comment period for those who have registered in advance.

David W. Chown, chief academic officer and senior vice president for the residential university of Upper Iowa University, has been named the new chancellor at Penn State York, effective Feb. 15. He replaces John J. Romano, Penn State's former vice president for Commonwealth campuses and former CEO at Penn State York, who came out of retirement to lead the campus until a new chancellor was found.

Melanie Hatch, founding dean of the College of Engineering and Business at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., has been named chancellor and chief academic officer at Penn State DuBois effective Jan. 28. She follows Anita McDonald, who retired in December after nearly a decade as chancellor. Ping Werner, professor of engineering, has been serving as the campus' interim chancellor and chief academic officer since Jan. 1.

"Dr. Hatch brings broad experience as an academic leader in higher education to Penn State. She has a strong background in program development and applied research," said Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses. "Her accomplished service in senior administrative roles, including her collaborative work with industry and community partners, and her commitment to retaining a diverse student body and workforce, dovetails very well with ongoing efforts at Penn State DuBois. We look forward to her joining us as chancellor to build on the campus' reputation for academic excellence and its strong presence in the region."